But former US netminder Brad Friedel, currently at EPL side Tottenham Hotspur, gave his vote of confidence on Saturday to the player assumed to be the likely replacement if Howard can't play: Aston Villa's No. 1 Brad Guzan.

And if anything were to ever happen to Guzan, the 41-year-old Friedel, who collected 82 caps before retiring from international soccer in 2005, says he'd be ready to come out of retirement to help the USMNT in a pinch:

GK situation US:YOU ARE IN GREAT HANDS WITH GUZAN!!!! If he was also hurt of course I would consider helping until Tim and Brad were fit!!